Raleigh alternative rockers Blush introduce their debut EP, Count Me In, with Splinter, a track that places emotional sacrifice against a volatile, hard-edged arrangement. A viciously distorted bass tone anchors the song as gritty guitars and energetic female vocals drive it forward.
Splinter examines the burden of suspending one's own needs in order to remain present for somebody else. Its tension comes from the contradictory shape of grief, as loss can bind people together through shared experience while leaving each person trapped inside a private loneliness.
Built on a melodic shoegaze backdrop, the song lets its friction and its mellow sensibilities unfold without crowding each other.
Formed in 2025 by longtime friends with roots throughout North Carolina’s hardcore and alternative scenes, Blush channel the abrasion of their past into a more expansive sound. Heavy textures meet soaring melody and direct emotional writing, allowing Splinter to hit with force.
Recorded with Jacob Beeson in June 2026, the five-song Count Me In EP marks the band’s first release through Another Year Collective.
ZR